Hearts Revealed
by Mav Phoenix
Summary: This is after a short introduction pure sugar, so don´t read it if you´re not a friend of pure romance between two people. As usualy it´s a S/A story and as usual expect the worst from me.


There are sometimes some differences between the NGE Anime and the Manga Edition. The training for the dual Angel for example. In the series they learn to move with some with somekind of a machine and they live still with Misato. In the Manga you can find a different set up. Here they train like for a traditional ballet and they live on their own in a room within NERV- HQ.  
  
Why not take the difference between those two scenarios one step further?  
  
The following story is a one-shot from my point of view. I don´t plan on continuing it as far as I can see, so feel free to use the scenario if you have a idea of how to continue it. Just give me a ring if you please.  
  
  
  
Revealing ones heart is a painful experience  
  
  
  
Location: Temporary living quarters of the 2nd and 3rd child Time: Evening two days before the battle  
  
Asuka was taking her time in the shower while Shinji listened to his SDAT- Player, trying hard not to think about the redhead showering just behind the door in front of his bed.  
  
'How in the world could Misato have been so cruel? Putting me in such a situation! This is no training, this is pure torture! Asuka is like a tigress on the prowl and for her I´m the easy evening prey. Even if that´s making her even more beautiful it is still to much pain to have her all day in front of you and unable to do something.'  
  
The soft click of the door unlocking informed Shinji that Asuka had finally finished her shower.  
  
'Jeez, 50 minutes! Why does she always needs so long? Was one of her ancestors a fish or what?!' Trying his best not to look in her direction and her state of dress (or undress depending on your point of view) he concentrated on the music coming from his headphones.  
  
Over the sound of the soft orchestra music he heard his name being called and he chose to ignore the calling. Suddenly he was ripped from the soothing music playing in his ears by a question from Asuka. A question he never expected, not in a million years at least.  
  
"Shinji . do you . do you ha . Shinjidoyouhateme?"  
  
Even if it was said in a hurry he understood it as if every word was carefully pronounced by itself.  
  
DO YOU HATE ME? HATE ME! HATE! HATE! HATE!  
  
15 minutes earlier  
  
Asuka had just finished her relaxing shower and her before tense muscles were now nicely relaxed. That relaxed state just didn´t apply to her mind. Her thoughts were moving at top speed, trying to solve a problem she couldn´t get a grip on.  
  
'Why is that baka one moment a spineless coward in front of the others and in the next moment he´s all smiles? Why doesn´t he retaliate when I´m making fun of him? Does he hate me so much that he thinks I´m not worth the effort? He must hate me, no one could like a bitch like me! Everyone leaves me the first chance they get. Mama. Kaji. Father. Even Misato dumped ,e with Shinji here. I´m alone. Alone.'  
  
When her mother died all those years ago she had made the silent vow to herself never to cry again, but that feeling of loneliness and cold she felt let her eyes water. Her proud mid just wouldn´t let her tears fall.  
  
'Damn you Asuka! You´re stronger than that! So what! You came that far on your own, why would you need now one of these fools?'  
  
'Because I´m tired of being alone. I´m tired of fighting on my own. I want to feel someone standing behind me, supporting me . loving me.'  
  
Present Time  
  
After her rushed question Asuka was holding her breath, awaiting Shinjis answer. 'Please God, don´t let him hate me. I can bear everything else, but not that another person hates me. Please just once, just this one time, listen to my prayers.'  
  
Anxious she watched Shinji moving on his bed until he looked at her directly. Before their eyes could met she looked down to her feet not trusting herself if she would look into his eyes. 'Eyes are the windows to ones soul. I can´t stand to see the hate in his eyes for me.'  
  
"Asuka? . Did you really asked me if I hate you?"  
  
Not trusting her voice at the moment Asuka just nodded her head once to his question.  
  
'How could she possible think that I would hate her? . NO! It can´t be! . Or could it be? . Could it be that she´s like me? Is she as lonely as I am?'  
  
In a matter of seconds Shinjis kind heart and soul decided on a course of action. It took only a blink of an eye for Shinji to move out of his bed and to walk in front of Asuka. To his and obviously her surprise, her wide open eyes were a dead give away for that fact, he gently lifted her head by her chin to look her direct into her eyes.  
  
She was still trying not to look at him directly when to her shock she felt a gently hand lift her chin up and she finally looked Shinji into the eyes. To her not to shriek away from his face, his eyes were she thought she would see only hate and disgust for her took almost more energy than she had.  
  
'That´s it. Now I will lose another one who could have been a friend.'  
  
Funny how fate could decide in an instant your whole future.  
  
"Asuka I don´t know what made you think that I hate you, but even in the darkest corner of my heart I could never found me hating you." Before Asuka could respond to that he silenced her with a gentle touch of her lips. "Please listen to me before you say anything. In my eyes you are one of the most beautiful girls I´ve ever seen and I don´t only mean your good looks. When you told me yesterday about your origin and how you felt about it you showed me a climbs of the real Asuka. Believe me or not Asuka, but what you showed me in that instant made wishing to know you better. Scrap that, it made me wishing to be your friend and . more, if you would let me."  
  
Silence filled the small apartment after Shinji finished talking, a silence were Asuka desperately tried to come to terms with her feelings.  
  
'He doesn´t hate me?! He wants to be my friend?! He wants to be . more?!' Gathering all her courage Asuka moved her eyes to look into Shinjis. Looking into his hazelnut brown eyes she nearly drowned in a sea of tender feelings directed at her. Never before had she felt such warmth surrounding her heart. In a flash she realised that her time of loneliness had come to an ending in that instant. Never again would she have to face to cold alone. She finally had found that what she had missed for most of her live, a home of her own. Deciding that words wouldn´t be enough to explain her feelings Asuka decided on a course of action.  
  
In the moments where Shinji held Asukas face he enjoyed the tender feelings the simple touch of her soft skin awoke in his heart. He was so enveloped in those wonderful emotions that he didn´t notice Asuka casing into his eyes, so her next move took him totally by surprise.  
  
Asuka gently cupped Shinjis face into her small, delicate hands and gave him her second best gift. Her first real kiss. It wasn´t wild or innocent, more like a soft promise of more in the future, but for the two of them it was a turning point in their still young lives.  
  
At first Shinji was surprised and almost shocked when he felt Asuka kissing him, that lasted only for a few seconds before he made his move. He tenderly embraced Asuka in a loving hug and simply enjoyed her soft lips on his own. When he felt Asuka relax into the embrace his heart cried out in joy. Gently he move the two of them toward his bed and carefully, as if he was holding the finest china, he lowered their body´s onto the soft mattress. He noticed Asukas questioning look, mixed with a small bit of fear and quickly reassured her of his intentions.  
  
"Don´t worry Asuka. I just want to hold you in your sleep, to make you fell loved and sheltered from every bad thing in this world."  
  
That love filled sentence made Asuka feel warmth all over her body and deep in her heart. Finally she found the one person who would give her what she so fervently seeked. She gently lowered her head on his shoulder and for the first time in her young life she led herself drift to sleep in the arms of another person.  
  
  
  
At the same time a few stories above the two teenagers  
  
Misato was watching the screen with the feed from the children´s room. A hand with a tissue moved into her field of vision, and just than she noticed the few tears moving over her face.  
  
"Thank you Maya."  
  
"No problem Captain. Isn´t it sweet to see a young love bloom when all around them is war and destruction?"  
  
"You´re right Maya. It gives me hope and strength that our fight isn´t useless, that everything we´re are doing here is worth our sacrifices."  
  
"I hope so Captain, I really hope so."  
  
The End  
  
  
  
It´s a long time since I posted a new story, but life wasn´t to kind to me during the last few months. Hopefully I will be able to work again on my other story´s, until then goodby. 


End file.
